


fine

by nonamebut



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Future Fic, Gen, Melodrama, Post Break Up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-23
Updated: 2020-02-23
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:26:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22864762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nonamebut/pseuds/nonamebut
Summary: and i say that i'm through, but this song's still for you.
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan & Mark Lee
Comments: 4
Kudos: 27





	fine

The words come easy when Donghyuck thinks of Mark. It’s natural, after all, to think of his first love when he sings songs about heartbreak for a living.

“Cut!”

But it’s a little harder, this time, to keep himself from letting go completely. Today, the memories sting a little too much.

As therapeutic as they were back when he first wrote them, it ultimately doesn’t help as much as he likes to say it does — with how honest Donghyuck’s lyrics have always been. Most critics praise the subtle touch of obvious history behind every word he’s penned, but it often stabs him back in the heart in moments he least expects them to.

“Donghyuck?”

The glare of the lights is a stark reminder of where he is. What he’s here for.

“Ah.” He smiles weakly, first at the kind manager noona bending down to dab at the corners of his eyes, then into the camera that’s still blinking a soft red, red red.

“Donghyuck... we’re taking a quick break.”

He doesn’t respond, and everyone around him continues on, going about fixing the set and regrouping over clipboards and scene sheets.

All except one lone figure making his way towards Donghyuck.

It’s _embarrassing_ , Donghyuck concludes in his head, waving away his manager and closing his eyes to keep the tears from escaping. It’s mortifying even just lipsynching a breakup song in front of the very person you wrote it about.

“Are you okay?”

Donghyuck presses his lips into a harsh, harsh line. He’s still got his eyes shut but he can recognize that voice anywhere.

“I’m fine.” The worst part of it all isn’t that both of them know just how bad of a liar Donghyuck is. How much pride he has, how he can never back down and lay low and let the truth trample him over.

The real kicker is that Mark remains unmoved by it all. Always has been. And Donghyuck can do nothing else but smile behind manufactured melodies, making a sad profit of his madness.

Mark clears his throat, and it says a lot of what they’ve become, after all these years of orbiting around each other. After everything has been said and done, Mark still feels the need to be awkward, to be unforthcoming.

“Your song… well, your songs are always so beautiful…” Donghyuck can’t help but look up into Mark’s gaze when he trails off, still so familiar with the tone he uses when he thinks he’s about to say something really, really important.

It is, in other words, the breakup voice. But this time it says: _Donghyuck, I think this song particularly… just, I think this is it._

So rambly, Mark Lee. Donghyuck just wishes he could say what he really means, but before he can tell off Mark on that himself, the director comes back in and filming starts back up.

The words, Donghyuck soon finds, don’t come as easy anymore. It’s a different feeling — singing of heartbreak and first loves when the love of his life is staring at him in that way.

It’s not necessarily bad. But for some reason, Donghyuck starts to feel the way he does after he wins award after award for his self compositions. Almost.

This time the words, Donghyuck’s words—they don’t feel as cheap. For all the trophies and rankings he has swept, this is the first time Donghyuck has felt that all the words have truly mattered.

Because there Mark stands, and Donghyuck finally recognizes the look on his face. Miraculously, amazingly. Moved.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading <3 real talk i don't like this all that much but i thought that releasing it from my drive will somehow bring me peace.. :D
> 
> very obviously inspired by taeyeon's fine (that one part in the mv gets me every time ugh where is taeyeons OSCAR)


End file.
